Gretchen Carlson
I love sharing good books, but today I’m also pointing you to an excellent author. Gary Schmidt. I’ve read most his books and can’t decide which is my favorite.
This morning, I discovered my library has shelved Schmidt’s 2021 book Just like That. I whipped out my library card and will be the first to read it. But if you can’t get your hands on this new release, you should begin with Schmidt’s two Newberry Award books.
The Wednesday Wars wraps itself around Holling Hoodhood, a seventh grade boy stuck every Wednesday after school with Mrs. Baker. While other students attend a religion class, he has to read Shakespeare. But Holling’s misery doesn’t stop there. His father pushes him to perform and excel in life. The family business depends upon it.
I couldn’t put the book down. Middle grade teachers tell me the witty humor in The Wednesday Wars pulls reluctant readers (yes, even boys) into the book. Schmidt creates characters everyone can identify with. I laughed. I cringed. I held my breath and cheered for the fictitious antihero, Holling.
All of Schmidt’s books tug inner fibers of my heart because through ordinary characters, he points to how extraordinary life is, even with struggle and loss.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, Schmidt’s first Newberry, carries a similar theme of a teen, disdained by peers and pressured by his father. The young man, Turner, finds a friend in Lizzie who is smart, but poor, and doesn’t meet his father’s approval. In Schmidt’s books, characters are not perfect. Circumstances and difficult relationships challenge them as they determine right decisions. But in all his books, there is redemption. The main character grows through conflict and becomes a better person.
As a writer, I admire how Schmidt pushes plot and develops character with vivid language. He writes with quick sensory details so the reader smells, hears, feels and tastes scenes. There are no wordy descriptive sections to slug through. Sometimes I re-read pages only to savor fresh images and Schmidt’s clever wordsmithing. I don’t read Schmidt’s books, instead I step into his stories because his writing style ignites them.
Need a good book? Look for this author: Gary Schmidt.
I’d love to know your favorite authors. Leave a comment!
Happy Reading,
Gretchen Carlson
Candice Yamnitz
Michelle Kaderly Welsh
I just discovered Gary D. Schmidt a month or so ago when I picked up “Pay Attention, Carter Jones.” Wow! This book had me laughing one moment and sniffling away tears the next. He held my attention the whole way. Beautifully written. You’ve just reinforced what I was thinking. And what I’m thinking is that I need to read more Gary D. Schmidt.
Gary Schmidt’s writing is rich. I’m so glad you’ve discovered him. He’s a professor at Calvin University and like you, he shares a love for farm and country life.
Happy Reading
Gretchen